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| Walker tees off on a blustery second morning at The International, Amsterdam |
Scotland’s Kylie Walker posted a second round of one-under-par 72 in windy conditions at The International – Amsterdam Airport – on Saturday morning to maintain a two stroke lead in the Deloitte Ladies Open.
The Glaswegian 27-year-old ended the day at five-under ahead of Thailand’s Titliya Plucksataporn, with five players sharing third on two-under-par.
After starting with bogeys on holes 10 and 12, Walker quickly recovered with a birdie on 13. She then picked up two shots on the back nine after finishing with a pair of birdies on eight and nine.
“The conditions were definitely tougher and I made a couple of bogeys in the beginning but stayed patient and then made it back at the end so I’m pretty happy,” said Walker, leading a Ladies European Tour event going into a final round for the first time. “I played slightly better yesterday but it’s always easier when the wind isn’t blowing you about. I’m loving the course and enjoying playing it and having fun. I’m feeling comfortable with my game and happy with it.”
Plucksataporn also played in the morning’s tougher conditions before the winds eased and the sun burst through the clouds around lunchtime. The 31-year-old from Bangkok said: “It was very windy and cold this morning and a two and a half club wind when I started. I had a good short game today and when I missed the green I could get up and down. I hit 12 greens today and 28 putts. I think you need good course management on this course and think a bit because you need to leave yourself an easy putt.”
Those sharing third on two-under were Russian Maria Balikoeva (73), looking to better her career best finish of tied fourth which she equalled in Turkey a fortnight ago, England’s Hannah Burke (73), South African rookie Kim Williams (69), Australian Nikki Campbell (72) and Sweden’s Camilla Lennarth (69), who last year finished tied fourth at The International, having led after both of the first two rounds.
Williams, making her first visit to Holland, said: “The key today was I stayed patient. It wasn’t easy and percentage golf was key. I only missed two fairways and I only missed three greens so I kept it in play but it was a tough day. This whole year for me is a learning curve so I’m just chuffed to have put myself in a position to contend.”
Lying in a share of eighth position, English rookie professional Lauren Taylor did her score no harm when she aced the par-3 seventh using a 5-iron for her eighth lifetime hole-in-one, but first as a professional.
The 19-year-old from Rugby recorded her last hole-in-one during the 2011 Allianz Ladies Slovak Open, when she had two consecutive eagles on the par-5 fourth and par-3 fifth holes, just after winning the British Amateur Championship.
She said afterwards: “KLM have offered me a flight so it’s nice to get a prize. My dad needs a flight back to England so I might use it for him.”
Home heroine Christel Boeljon gave the large galleries reason to cheer with her four-under-par 69 which took her into a share of 13th place with 10 other players on even par.
“It could have been lower but I think four under today is a really good round because it was windy,” said Boeljon, a member of Europe’s winning Solheim Cup team in 2011. “I was a little bit more at ease and played shot by shot. The rhythm was better in my swing. I just need to let go and play.”
Collated scores at the end of round 2:
141 – Kylie Walker (SCO) 69 72
143 – Titiya Plucksataporn (THA) 73 70
144 – Maria Balikoeva (RUS) 71 73, Hannah Burke (ENG) 71 73, Kim Williams (RSA) 75 69, Nikki Campbell (AUS) 72 72, Camilla Lennarth (SWE) 75 69
145 – Melissa Reid (ENG) 72 73, Lauren Taylor (ENG) 74 71, Beth Allen (USA) 72 73, Mallory Fraiche (USA) 72 73, Alison Whitaker (AUS) 72 73
146 – Sally Watson (SCO) 74 72, Miriam Nagl (GER) 72 74, Klara Spilkova (CZE) 72 74, Linda Wessberg (SWE) 73 73, Krista Bakker (FIN) 72 74, Ariane Provot (FRA) 72 74, Sophie Walker (ENG) 73 73, Malene Jorgensen (DEN) 74 72, Gwladys Nocera (FRA) 74 72, Christel Boeljon (NED) 77 69, Nontaya Srisawang (THA) 72 74
147 – Marion Ricordeau (FRA) 73 74, Heather Macrae (SCO) 75 72
148 – Stefania Croce (ITA) 75 73, Trish Johnson (ENG) 74 74, Maria Salinas (PER) 74 74, Liz Young (ENG) 73 75, Maha Haddioui (MAR) 71 77, Vikki Laing (SCO) 71 77, Anne Van Dam (NLD) 72 76, Leigh Whittaker (GER) 76 72, Diana Luna (ITA) 71 77
149 – Sophie Gustafson (SWE) 72 77, Anjelika Hammar (SWE) 71 78, Holly Aitchison (ENG) 76 73, Minea Blomqvist (FIN) 76 73, Ursula Wikstrom (FIN) 74 75, Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) 73 76, Julia Davidsson (SWE) 71 78, Nina Holleder (GER) 76 73
150 – Caroline Martens (NOR) 75 75, Jade Schaeffer (FRA) 71 79, Carin Koch (SWE) 78 72, Alexandra Vilatte (FRA) 75 75, Carly Booth (SCO) 73 77, Victoria Lovelady (BRA) 77 73, Ann-Kathrin Lindner (GER) 75 75, Louise Larsson (SWE) 74 76, Kelsey Macdonald (SCO) 75 75
151 – Noora Tamminen (FIN) 76 75, Florentyna Parker (ENG) 75 76, Sahra Hassan (WAL) 75 76, Dewi Weber (NLD) 76 75, Emily Taylor (ENG) 77 74, Ainil Bakar (MYS) 71 80, Stephanie Na (AUS) 74 77, Cassandra Kirkland (FRA) 76 75, Stacy Lee Bregman (RSA) 75 76, Valentine Derrey (FRA) 73 78, Margherita Rigon (ITA) 73 78
Missed the cut:
152 – Ana Larraneta (ESP) 77 75, Veronica Zorzi (ITA) 75 77, Holly Clyburn (ENG) 73 79, Josephine Janson (SWE) 81 71, Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA) 72 80, Mikaela Parmlid (SWE) 78 74, Sophie Giquel-bettan (FRA) 74 78, Mireia Prat (ESP) 76 76, Chrisje De Vries (NED) 79 73, Charlotte Ellis (ENG) 74 78
153 – Caroline Afonso (FRA) 76 77, Henni Zuel (ENG) 78 75, Amy Boulden (WAL) 74 79, Fabienne In-albon (SUI) 78 75
154 – Sharmila Nicollet (IND) 77 77, Julie Tvede (DEN) 78 76, Lucy Williams (ENG) 78 76, Eleanor Givens (ENG) 77 77, Pamela Pretswell (SCO) 79 75, Lucie Andre (FRA) 78 76, Karolin Lampert (GER) 76 78, Nina Muehl (AUT) 78 76, Isabelle Boineau (FRA) 74 80, Nicole Garcia (RSA) 74 80, Becky Brewerton (WAL) 72 82
155 – Virginia Espejo (ESP) 82 73, Nobuhle Dlamini (SWZ) 80 75, Bree Arthur (AUS) 82 73, Georgina Simpson (ENG) 76 79, Christine Wolf (AUT) 82 73, Nicole Broch Larsen (DEN) 78 77, Lydia Hall (WAL) 74 81, Patricia Sanz Barrio (ESP) 74 81, Cathryn Bristow (NZL) 75 80, Manon De Roey (BEL) 77 78, Isabell Gabsa (GER) 75 80, Chloe Leurquin (BEL) 80 75
156 – Mia Piccio (PHL) 77 79, Steffi Kirchmayr (GER) 78 78, Charlotte Thompson (ENG) 75 81, Elisabeth Esterl (GER) 78 78, Elina Nummenpaa (FIN) 79 77, Julie Greciet (FRA) 72 84
157 – Laura Jansone (LVA) 75 82, Celine Herbin (FRA) 80 77, Viva Schlasberg (SWE) 76 81, Laurette Maritz (RSA) 75 82
158 – Hannah Ralph (ENG) 77 81
159 – Rebecca Sorensen (SWE) 77 82, Pamela Feggans (SCO) 74 85, Whitney Hillier (AUS) 81 78
160 – Laurence Herman (BEL) 83 77
161 – Charlotte Puts (NLD) 82 79
162 – Mette Hageman (NLD) 80 82
165 – Anais Maggetti (SUI) 85 80
166 – Ileen Domela Nieuwenhuis (NLD) 82 84
168 – Maggie Yuan (AUS) 82 86, Melodie Bourdy (FRA) 81 87
RTD – Stefania Avanzo (ITA), Adriana Brent (AUS), Rosie Davies (ENG)
DQ – Tania Elosegui, Rebecca Hudson (ENG)
WD – Sophie Sandolo (ITA)
